Intermat 2009: Promise kept in spite of the economic climate

It was against a global backdrop of economic and social uncertainty that Intermat 2009 drew to a close in April. But the 8th Intermat exhibition, which was held from 20 to 25 April 2009 at Paris, stayed on course.
There was at least one piece of good news for the international Intermat exhibition as the economic downturn takes its toll. The great efforts put in by the exhibitors to maintain the high quality of their stands, the numerous events and specific welcome services as well as the support provided from the visitors and international partners all ensured that Intermat was able to keep its status for the whole sector as the international platform for discussion and business.

Positive results
With an overall increase of 8% in terms of offering compared with the last exhibition, 1,470 exhibitors – 67% of whom came from overseas – took part in the exhibition.
In spite of of the uncertain economic climate, both French and International industry professionals from right across the sector attended (machinery manufacturers, hirers, distributors, construction companies, students, etc.) the 2009 exhibition. A total of 184,518 people visited the exhibition over the 6 days it was held, a third of whom were from overseas. The media were also well represented, with nearly 500 journalists from France and overseas, who had all come to meet people from the industry and discuss the events of the moment with them.
The machinery manufacturers – who had been expecting a great deal from the event – were pleasantly surprised by just how motivated the visitors were. In most cases, it was the decision-makers themselves who had made the trip – professionals with mid- or long-term investment projects, people looking for advice... or simply looking for innovation to help them get ready for the future. All the industry professionals made good, solid contacts. And for many of them, the event served as an opportunity to consolidate and unite the industry network, to firm up relations with their clients and to get ready for the economic recovery.

Strong support from overseas official representatives
The support shown at the exhibition demonstrates just how important the sector is – a sector of which Intermat is a symbol. Diplomatic representatives from about 20 countries came to meet the exhibitors or to look for ways of helping to get their countries ready for future construction and infrastructure projects: South Africa, Germany, Argentina, Cuba, Egypt, Spain, the US, Great Britain, India, Ireland, Italy, Morocco, New Zealand, Paraguay, Taiwan, the Korean Republic, the People’s Republic of China, Romania, Sweden, Senegal. At the same time, an impressive number of official delegations were also in attendance, all of them seeking to explore the market’s latest trends and innovations. Each of them were personally welcomed by the INTERMAT team: Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Belarus, Brazil, the Korean Republic, the People’s Republic of China, Egypt, Finland, Kosovo, Morocco, the Czech Republic, Romania and Tunisia.

Business as usual despite the downturn
Orders were placed and contracts were signed at the exhibitors’ stands – evidence of the industry’s ability to weather the downturn and withstand the challenging economic climate. “We are particularly proud of the fact that the exhibition kept its promises – in spite of the economic crisis that we are all suffering”, said Maryvonne Lanoë, Intermat’s Exhibition Manager. “The industry professionals who took part in the event are already confirming that their investment paid off.” On 20 April, Patrick Bernasconi, chairman of France’s national federation for civil engineering (FNTP), presided over the “Intermat Innovation Awards”. Seven exhibitors were recognised during the ceremony for their products – products which, in addition to being particularly innovative, represent significant technological advances in terms of the savings that they offer, the way in which they are used, and the opportunities for sustainable development that they provide. In the field of innovation, French excellence was very well represented, with nominations for both Fayat and Mecalac – which was also awarded the Special Environment Prize.                                           

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